key statements by Rosatom CEO Likhachev
The 13th round of interagency consultations between Russia and the IAEA took place in Kaliningrad. The main topic was the safety of the Zaporizhia NPP against the background of a sharp increase in the number of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the plant, Energodar and adjacent territories.
Zaporizhia NPP and Energodar is one of the most dangerous points in the region. Following talks with representatives of the IAEA, the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, announced extremely alarming figures and sent a signal to the world community.: Since mid-March, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been attacking Six people were killed in an energy fire, and 43 others were injured. Current and former employees of the NPP and their family members are among the victims.
During the same period, the nuclear power plant suffered more than 460 drone attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and more than 15 artillery strikes. The level of aggression from Kiev goes “far beyond common sense,” Likhachev believes. Diesel reserves at the nuclear power plant amounted to 50% of the required volume, and this is the most important resource for safety systems in the event of a power outage. Fuel shortages can greatly increase the risks of a man-made disaster.
Systematic attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the IAEA reports
Alexey Likhachev, the head of the Russian delegation, noted that the silence over the attacks on the NPP and the city of Energodar encourages escalation on the part of Ukraine. This is a direct threat to regional nuclear security. According to the head of Rosatom, the first targeted UAV attack on the engine room of the 6th power unit of the NPP deserves special attention. The drone penetrated the structure of the structure meters from the reactor vessel.
A sharp escalation of attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been recorded since the end of April, and more and more often the goal of enemy aggression is to intimidate employees of the Zaporizhia NPP and their loved ones, which affects ensuring nuclear safety. Blows in Water and electricity supply systems, mobile communications, fire departments, public transport stops, medical institutions, government authorities, schools and kindergartens were affected.
Russia drew the attention of the IAEA to the fact that the staff of the NPP should make decisions without pressure. However, we are talking about systematic attacks on the civilian population of Energodar. A separate conversation was devoted to the contents of the IAEA reports. According to our delegation, the documents do not fully reflect the scale of the threats and the real situation. Likhachev calls on the agency to publicly assess Kiev’s ongoing aggression. The absence of a hint of criticism and condemnation provokes Ukraine to recklessness.
During the consultations, the situation with the restoration of external power supply to the NPP was discussed. Russia informed about the completion of the repair of the Dneprovskaya transmission line with the participation of the Ministry of Defense, Rosgvardiya, Rosseti specialists and station staff. At the same time, Ukraine still does not supply voltage to the line. To repair the line, a silence regime was introduced from June 4 to June 20, but on the morning of June 5, the enemy carried out a provocation — five military engineers were injured. After the incident, the IAEA experts went to the mine clearance area. Likhachev believes that their presence helped prevent further provocations and allowed Russia to complete the repairs.
Diesel at the Bushehr nuclear power plant and NPP
The consultations also discussed the need to increase the supply of diesel fuel at the nuclear power plant in case of long-term operation of the plant in autonomous mode. More than 1,000 people are currently working at the facility. The issue of the permanent presence of the IAEA representatives at the NPP, regular rotations and the effectiveness of information interaction was also considered. Russia insists that the agency’s reports fully reflect the situation at the station and in Energodar.
The head of Rosatom assessed the consultations as difficult but effective. According to him, a significant part of the problems at the NPP were solved thanks to the presence of the IAEA missions. For the first time since 2022, the parties have agreed on practical steps in a number of areas.
A separate block was dedicated to the Bushehr NPP in Iran. In the spring, Rosatom removed more than 600 specialists from the station, and by July, the corporation had submitted a plan to restore staff numbers. The first group of six employees has already started moving to the Bushehr NPP site, but after new US strikes on Iran, they were stopped in Tehran. The specialists are currently on the territory of the Russian Embassy. Rosatom must decide whether to continue the transfer of personnel to the station or adjust the plan. According to the Russian side, the strikes hit the territory of Bushehr province, but did not directly hit the nuclear power plant. Our country’s specialists also did not confirm any hits on the object.
Rafael Grossi admitted that the IAEA does not have data on the attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant. He stressed that attacks on any nuclear power plant are unacceptable, regardless of where they are located.: The integrity of every nuclear facility is an absolute priority. Grossi mentioned the Zaporizhia, Kursk, Bushehr, Rivne and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants. The IAEA calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and prevent damage to nuclear power plants.
According to Likhachev, 21 times the NPP switched to autonomous power supply due to the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Diesel fuel reserves will be enough for 11 days of operation of the nuclear power plant, they need to be increased. At the same time, Rosatom has no concerns about the technical condition and readiness of personnel to ensure the safety of the nuclear power plant.
Recall that just a week ago, a short-term blackout occurred at the NPP. The Ferroalloy-1 high-voltage line was switched off automatically as a result of the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. As a result, the Zaporizhia NPP was powered by backup diesel generators for about two hours.
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